The Day Our Promise Breaks

Evelyn's mind was spinning with what had just happened in the bedroom. She had barely managed to escape from Charles...

If she ended up in Charles' clutches again, she knew she wouldn't get away. She couldn't let that happen. Right now, Evelyn was like a bird startled by the slightest sound, skittish and on edge. Just being in the same room as Charles filled her with fear. With wide, terrified eyes, she shouted, "Stay away!" as she darted towards the door.

"Eve!" Charles called after her. He had just calmed himself slightly with a cold shower and was on his way to grab some ice to counter the effects of the drug when he saw the fear etched on Evelyn's face. She was so scared she didn't even stop to put on shoes as she bolted out the door. Without thinking, Charles tried to follow, but he was in no state to chase her. All he could do was stand helplessly in the doorway and watch her run barefoot into the night. She didn't wait for the elevator, opting instead for the stairs, her hurried footsteps fading into the distance.

Charles stood there, leaning against the doorframe. The cold water had made the wounds on his body swell. Images of Evelyn's frightened eyes haunted him. He'd really scared her. Regret gnawed at him. Had he lost his mind? Why had he treated her like that? He remembered her going from cursing him to pleading with him, her strong stance crumbling into tears. She'd been so terrified, and he'd ignored her. He wanted to possess her again, to have another child together. How was he any different from Dahlia, who had drugged him? He was just as contemptible.

"Ah!" In frustration, Charles punched the wall, reopening the wounds that had just stopped bleeding. But the drug's effects were too strong, and the pain barely registered. Staggering back into the bedroom, he grabbed his phone and called Aiden. “Eve just left. Find her and make sure she's safe." After hanging up, he called Andrew. "Andrew, I've been drugged. Bring the antidote, fast." He gave Evelyn's address before ending the call. He couldn't make it to the hospital on his own. Too many things could go wrong on the way. Afraid of losing control, he forced himself to get ice and fill the bathtub, submerging himself in the freezing water. The icy chill bit into his skin, temporarily cooling him down, but the heat from the drug kept coming back. Stuck in this cycle of hot and cold, Charles endured the torment, each second dragging on endlessly.

Finally, the doorbell rang. Charles opened his bloodshot eyes, wrapped a towel around his waist, and went to open the door for Andrew.

Andrew took

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look at Charles and

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was lost for words. He helped him to the couch and, after checking the drug's effects, opened his medical kit. "Charles, who gave you something this potent? They must really have it in for you!" It was a new formula; no ordinary hospital would have the antidote. If Andrew hadn't had one, Charles might have been in serious trouble. The ice water was only a temporary fix. As soon as Charles left it, the heat surged back. But his gaze was icy. As the antidote worked its way through his system, Charles lay on the couch, eyes closed. Slowly, his breathing steadied, and the redness in his eyes faded, but he was utterly spent, drained of energy.

After rebandaging Charles' wounds, Andrew poured him a glass of water. As Charles drank, Aiden called, "M Jenkins, Ms. Evelyn has been taken home by Mr. Brooks." Hearing that Evelyn had gone to Brooks' place made Charles grip the glass tighter. In that situation, she hadn't turned to Adam but to Brooks. Was Brooks really so important to her now?

"Charles, watch your wounds," Andrew warned as he saw them reopen. Charles seemed oblivious to the pain. The physical hurt was nothing compared to the ache in his heart. Andrew patched him up again. "Get some rest, Charles. I'll head out." With that, Andrew left.

Charles lay on the couch, trying to relax, but sleep wouldn't come. His mind kept replaying the night's events, Evelyn's frightened eyes and the news that she'd gone to Brooks. Finally, he got dressed, hailed a cab, and headed to Brooks' place.

Evelyn had rushed out of her home, out of the complex, and was about to call Adam when her phone rang unexpectedly.